I have just received the following circular from a folk club just outside London. It is probably going to be controversial on Mudcat so may I apologise in advance for any unpleasantness that arises in advance of my starting this thread. However, I find the thoughts and actions behind the message deeply worrying, First of all the message: -

Hi all,
I'm sorry to say we thought it best to cancel tonight's session; my apologies for the short notice. I've just discovered that the licensing authorities have advised all pubs in the area to close this evening as there has been an enormous Gipsy funeral in the local area today and trouble is anticipated.

Although the guv'nor says he'll accommodate us whilst keeping the pub dark, I saw quite by chance the size of the cortege this afternoon. They had a carriage with six white horses for the coffin, three truck-loads of floral tributes, twelve stretch Rolls-Royces plus innumerable other vehicles.

If that lot decide to start anything, we'll be well outnumbered. Also we're concerned about our cars in the car park, so thought it best to cancel.......

Many apologies for this short notice cancellation, but the potential unpleasantness doesn't seem worth it.

Let me give my reasons for concern -
First of all the licensing authorities (advised by the police, I wonder?) -
* Do they have the right to warn of potential trouble from one particular ethnic group? Is this permissible under any of Britain's Race Relations laws? Why cannot a group of people have a wake in a pub as other people can just because they are gypsies?
Then the publican -
* I suppose he has to think that if there were trouble in his pub following a funeral - whoever it was caused by - he might find his business in danger for not following what he probably takes to be police advice -
And what about the folk club organiser?
* How does he describe this traveller invasion - " a carriage with six white horses for the coffin, three truck-loads of floral tributes, twelve stretch Rolls-Royces plus innumerable other vehicles." Does this sound like a crowd of cut-throat thugs or does it sound like the funeral of a member of some successful traveller business whose family are spending a great deal of money to show their last respects to a member of their community.

I ran a folk club for 50 years. We had many Scots, Irish and English travellers as guests; they are, after all, the outstandingly most important tradition bearers in these islands. Many of these lovely people stayed at our house after performing at our club. A large proportion of my song and tune repertoire was learned from gypsy traveller sources.
Tina and I work with Shirley Collins on her "I'm a Romany Rai" show which we have presented at ours and other folk clubs, art centres and folk festivals, in schools and colleges. At many of these events, traveller groups have turned up and many have spoken to us afterwards saying how proud they were to know that their contribution to British traditional culture was being valued and praised. Never once did we feel that "If that lot decide to start anything, we'll be well outnumbered. Also we're concerned about our cars in the car park... "
Never was there a suggestion of anything but an enjoyable evening.
Does that folk club organiser allow material learned from traveller sources to be performed at his club? You never know what might 'kick off' if he does!